Sub Shearer is the difference

IAN PAUL

12 Dec 1996

Hearts 1, Aberdeen 2,

THERE was something clinically cruel about the way Aberdeen snatched the three points they needed at Tynecastle to take over second spot in the premier division table from Celtic.

They had been a goal down since Colin Cameron scored in the eighth minute and, despite having chances - as did Hearts - did not look like saving their hides.

Then, with one of those flashes of inspiration or, maybe just a wee throw of the dice, manager Roy Aitken replaced wee Billy Dodds with big Duncan Shearer.

Five minutes later, Aberdeen were 2-1 up and heading for an invaluable victory.

Shearer did the damage himself, heading in the equaliser a minute after he arrived, and then Dean Windass headed in the winner after he was left unmarked in the centre of the penalty area.

Shearer was only declared fit yesterday morning after having been out for three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Said manager Roy Aitken: "I thought justice was done tonight because, to be honest, after the way we played, it would have been unfair if we had come away with nothing.

I am pleased to be in second spot because it shows we are making progress in the right direction." Hearts manager Jim Jefferies described the two goals lost as "terrible." He went on: "We put in a lot of effort and played some good football but to come out of the game with nothing was hard to take." Maybe it was the fact that they had not won for a month, but Hearts went about their business in impressively aggressive style and, in the first 10 minutes, Aberdeen managed only one attempt at goal - a Dean Windass free-kick well held by Gilles Rousset.

In contrast, before they scored in eight minutes, Hearts had forced Nicky Walker into a brave dive at John Robertson's feet, David Weir had gone near with a shot, and Alan McManus had just failed to reach a Steve Fulton free-kick.

The goal was worth the admission money.

Robertson chested the ball down to Stephane Paille, who pushed it cleverly forward to Cameron and he guided it accurately with the side of his foot over the advancing Walker.

Aberdeen assumed the initiative for a spell midway in the half, encouraged by their fan club behind the Gorgie Road end, and, after Windass had shot wide, they almost snatched the equaliser when a superb cross by Stewart McKimmie was flicked on by Billy Dodds but just inches away from the head of Windass.

However, if he was a bit unlucky then, Windass had only himself to blame for missing a golden oppor- tunity soon after when a splendid cross by David Rowson gave him a clear chance from about 12 yards.

The former Hull City man somehow managed to head it carefully wide of a post.

Hearts should have made certain in 53 minutes when Cameron laid the ball into the path of Robertson inside the area.

He hit it wide of the far post.

After Paul Bernard was booked for a foul on Neil Pointon, Aberdeen brought on another man who has been absent for a long spell because of injury, Stephen Glass, who replaced Young.

In 73 minutes, Aberdeen tried a change of attack, Duncan Shearer coming on for Dodds.

Within a minute, the new man had equalised.

Rowson crossed from the left, Windass tried a header which Rousset was able to parry and Shearer gratefully headed the ball into the net.

If that was not enough to stun the local heroes, they were numb three minutes later when Windass headed in a cross from Miller to put the northern lights in front.

HEARTS - Rousset, Weir, Pointon, Mackay, McManus, Bruno, Paille, Fulton, Robertson, Cameron, McCann.

Substitutes - Frail, Goss, Colquhoun.

ABERDEEN - Walker, McKimmie, Bernard, Rowson, Irvine, Kombouare, Miller, Dodds, Kiriakov, Windass, Young.

Substitutes - Shearer, Stillie, Glass.

Referee - J McCluskey (Stewarton).

Taken from the Herald